Fiji

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Our relationship with Fiji

Fiji and New Zealand have a history of close ties spanning culture, sport, business, defence cooperation and education. Fiji is a regional hub, and a key partner for New Zealand in the Pacific.

New Zealand's bilateral engagement with Fiji continues to grow in terms of two way trade, tourism, defence and development in the wake of the democratic elections held in September 2014.

New Zealand welcomed Fiji’s 2014 return to democratic elections. New Zealand provides technical assistance to Fiji’s 2018 election preparations and support to its Parliament. New Zealand is pleased to be providing technical assistance to the Fiji Electoral Office in preparation for Fiji's national elections in 2018.

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Suva was accredited in November 2014 while Fiji's High Commissioner to New Zealand was accredited in November 2015. Career diplomat Jonathan Curr will replace Mark Ramsden as High Commissioner to Fiji early in 2018.

Fiji’s 332 islands span 18,300 square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. While 110 of the islands are inhabited, the population of 903,928 in 2017 lives mostly on the two large islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. Fiji’s capital, Suva, and the tourism hub of Nadi, both with international airports are on Viti Levu.

Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific. Even with the significant impacts of Tropical Cyclone Winston, economic growth remained positive.

Fiji’s economy is based a thriving tourism industry, manufacturing natural resources including fish, forest and mineral resources, and agriculture. It is our largest trading partner in the Pacific and one of only two Pacific nations to feature in our top 50 trading partners, along with Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand is a major supplier of services to Fiji and we in turn make up Fiji’s second largest tourist market after Australia. New Zealanders made more than 163,836 visits to Fiji in 2016.

Aid

The New Zealand Aid Programme works with Fiji to develop agriculture and a more highly skilled and educated workforce, and to build links between our institutions and support democracy.

New Zealand also continues to assist in Tropical Cyclone Winston recovery.